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HELPING PEOPLE ACHIEVE THEIR POTENTIAL

PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST

Access to education is the fundamental sustainability issue of our time.

Education is a vital necessity—empowering people around the world to realize the opportunities of an increasingly digital society, and enabling organizations to secure the talented individuals they need to grow.

Our education initiatives are inspired by a commitment to better prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s opportunities, while ensuring that future generations will have the skills needed to compete and thrive in the global economy.

We strive to create and support learning experiences that are accessible, stimulating, enriching—and fun. At the same time, our education efforts are aligned with the needs of each region in our global network, with a particular focus on alleviating disparities in education due to gender, economic level or distance from urban centers.

OUR PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS FOR U.S. EDUCATION AND SKILLS TRAINING

Our dedication to training and hiring the best talent in the U.S. and every country in which we operate emerges in tangible ways. We provide career opportunities through education partnerships and give back to communities in which we live and work, offering a range of opportunities and career paths for American workers.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Our Manhattan-based Digital Engineering Career Accelerator helps participants learn the skills to become a web developer or full-stack engineer at Cognizant. In addition to training in Java, front-end frameworks, test-driven development and building microservices, the program also covers the software lifecycle, agile best practices and consulting skills for Digital Engineering and Interactive business areas.

PER SCHOLAS

Our Bronx-based Platform by Per Scholas provides training in high-demand technology and business skills to residents of the five boroughs. One of the largest recruiters of STEM program talent in the United States, Cognizant is committed to U.S. jobs growth and retention, especially related to STEM fields, including roles for Software Support, Quality Engineering and Data Engineering. Graduates can fill jobs as Assurance Analysts, Business Support Consultants, Project Managers and Software Engineers.

DMACC

Our partnership with Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) and the Iowa Economic Development Authority enables us to invest in employee training for growing Iowa companies. This pre-employment training program is designed to equip individuals with the necessary skills for in-demand jobs, including Agent Support Representative, Insurance Representative and Data Entry Processor. The 60-hour pre-training program prepare trainees for customer support positions.

PER SCHOLAS

Our Dallas-based Platform by Per Scholas provides training in high-demand technology and business skills to residents of north Texas. One of the largest recruiters of STEM program talent in the United States, Cognizant is committed to U.S. jobs growth and retention, especially related to STEM fields, including roles for Quality Engineering or Software Support. Graduates can fill jobs as Assurance Analysts, Business Support Consultants, Project Managers and Program Testers.

TAMPA BAY TECHHIRE

The Tampa-based TechHire Program provides accelerated training and paid work experience opportunities to youth, young adults and incumbent workers for advancement in high-growth industries and occupations critical to the regional economy, including healthcare and information technology. This region of the state has the largest and fastest growing tech hub. The program will expand local technology-related job training programs by focusing on individuals with barriers to accessing employment. Cognizant’s commitment to grow Tampa-area operations began in 2014, investing $5.7 million in local facilities and hiring 400 new employees locally.

HOW COGNIZANT PUTS PEOPLE FIRST

SUSTAINING PEOPLE

Educating the World’s Most Precious Resource

From operating one of the world’s largest corporate volunteer efforts to teach and mentor those in the communities where we work to ensuring that our associates achieve the most from their careers, Cognizant has always valued and supported education.

CREATING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY

Cognizant supports education efforts such as Making the Future in the U.S., which inspires children to pursue learning in STEM disciplines, as well as a variety of programs in more than 20 other nations to help alleviate disparities in educational access.

Making the Future

Cognizant launched Making the Future in 2011 to spark an interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education among young people in the U.S. Our goal is to help close America’s STEM talent gap and prepare the country’s youth for the job opportunities that will arise in the future. Since inception, Making the Future has awarded over $9 million in grants, and has introduced more than 25,000 children in 200 communities to 1.5 million hours of making activities. In 2016 alone, Making the Future awarded 34 STEM grants to after-school, in-school, and summer programs at 54 sites across the U.S. and has committed to increase the number of grants and programs in the coming years.

Building Tomorrow’s Leaders With the Boy Scouts

Citizen Schools

Cognizant associates are active in Citizen Schools, a national nonprofit organization that recruits professionals to volunteer as Citizen Teachers, with a focus on working at middle schools in low-income areas. The volunteers’ talent and enthusiasm help to expand the learning experiences available to the students during 11-week hands-on courses in such areas as iDesign, robotics and solar-powered vehicles. In 2016, we fielded 45 Citizen Teacher volunteers to engage over 500 students in more than 8,300 hours of learning.

Accelerate Diversity U.S. College Scholarship Program

Cognizant awards college scholarships to U.S. students interested in pursuing the STEM and business fields. Our application period for 2018 scholarships runs through March 31, 2018.

Cognizant believes that more diversity in the talent pool leads to more diversity of thought, improved creativity in solving problems, greater innovation and delivers a distinct business advantage in today’s competitive global and digital economy.

Completely Cognizant is our commitment to diversity:

Our People: Our associates are ambassadors of diversity, representing Cognizant's commitment to a rich and dynamic work environment.

Our Culture: We purposefully design our culture to empower our employees and leaders to become catalysts for diversity.

Our Community: We are committed to creating educational opportunities that strengthen and develop a diverse global work force.

Cognizant’s Accelerate Diversity scholarship program addresses the conundrum that while the future has never looked brighter for STEM careers there is evidence that these exciting careers are failing to attract broad segments of our population. This unique scholarship is designed from a Cognizant perspective to identify and develop diverse talent for the Future of Work.

REDUCING EDUCATIONAL DISPARITY THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

Our Project Outreach volunteers have logged over 1.75 million volunteer hours supporting learning, mentoring, career counseling and talent development activities since the program began in 2007. In 2016, over 41,350 Cognizant associates dedicated 496,322 hours to Outreach activities in 20 countries, including the following programs:

1004

Our 1004 program has an ambitious goal: help 100 schools in India achieve a 100% pass rate, 100% graduation rate and 100% employability for graduates. In Kadapakkam, a village 120km from Chennai, volunteer teachers helped a local school reach a 100% pass rate in Computer Science and 98% pass rate in English in Class 12 board exams. The Fisheries school in Thevara, near Kochi, has earned an overall 100% pass rate for the last two consecutive years.

Be A Teacher

Be A Teacher encourages Cognizant associates to volunteer to teach English, Math and Science in local schools and help with extra-curricular activities. On average, 93 classroom teaching sessions are held every week across India, benefiting a significant number of students.

Virtual Volunteering

Through Classes on Cloud, Cognizant volunteers interact with children in remote areas via Skype or other online channels. For example, two Outreach volunteers in Chennai “virtually travel” over 500 km to teach English and Computer Science to students in Sundarapandiam village, Virudhunagar.

Project 100 Schools

The devastating floods in Chennai in 2015 heavily damaged many government schools in the city. Cognizant has committed to support the rebuilding efforts of 100 schools that suffered major damage in the floods in Chennai, Kanchipuram and Tiruvallur districts. In 2016, infrastructure renovation was completed in 37 schools; ultimately 50,000 children will have access to renewed school facilities.

Outreach Scholarships

Primarily through associate contributions, we provide scholarships for students from disadvantaged backgrounds who otherwise might not be able to continue their post-high school education. In 2016, over 15,673 associates contributed more than USD 29,000 each month toward the Outreach Scholarship program. Thus far, the initiative has helped 1,100 students—of whom over 90% are first-generation graduates and 72% are girls—pursue graduation.

TalHunt

Outreach volunteers support TalHunt, an inter-school cultural competition in which children compete to showcase their talents—and can “win” projects to improve their schools’ facilities. In 2016, 39,000 students from over 190 institutions in 11 cities were involved in TalHunt competitions. Over the past nine years, some 200,000 children have participated in TalHunt, encouraged by some 18,000 Cognizant volunteers.

REACHING OUT TO OUR GLOBAL COMMUNITY

The Cognizant Foundation is an independent entity launched in 2005 to support corporate social responsibility initiatives, with the primary objective of improving the lives and opportunities of economically and socially disadvantaged sections of society in India.

Educating the Community

In 2016 Cognizant Foundation supported 15 education projects, aimed at improving the quality of education in institutions catering to underprivileged populations. Over 4000 students and teachers benefit annually from these education projects.

Healthcare Initiatives

Cognizant Foundation supported 11 interventions in healthcare in 2016, to advance the work of not-for-profit organizations rendering services to underprivileged parts of society. Healthcare projects focused particularly on avoidable blindness prevention initiatives and provision of cancer care and emergency care to women and children from impoverished backgrounds, via investments in diagnostic and surgical equipment. Over 60,000 patients benefit annually from these healthcare projects.

Livelihood Programs

The Foundation funded 13 projects focused on improving livelihoods, primarily by providing skill training for disadvantaged youth and women. Beneficiaries of these programs graduate with specialized skills and become economically independent through gainful employment. Over 3,000 youth and women benefit from these programs.

Rebuilding Communities Program

The Foundation also has launched a Rebuilding Communities Program for areas affected by natural disasters, such as the unprecedented rains and flooding in Chennai, India in December 2015, and Cyclone Vardah in December 2016. To address the devastation these events imposed on thousands of families, Cognizant Foundation works to create and build self-reliant communities to bring about integrated and sustainable development.

OUR EMPLOYEES ARE OUR GREATEST ASSET

We are committed to attracting and retaining a diverse and inclusive workforce, developing our associates’ career and leadership potential, and providing a work environment that promotes employees’ safety, health and well-being.

As a leading, global enterprise that operates across many regions and cultures, diversity and inclusion are elemental to Cognizant’s values. Diversity is essential to attract, retain and develop the talented people we need to grow, thrive and serve clients—and to provide the rich variety of experiences and perspectives that allows us to see problems and opportunities from every angle.

Our diversity programs are designed to enhance opportunities for women, veterans and other affinity groups. We respect the individuality of every employee and strive to cultivate an environment of inclusion in which all are empowered to bring their best to work and are inspired to reach their full potential.

Women Empowered

Women Empowered (WE) is a major focus of our commitment to diversity, using a variety of training, collaboration, networking, support, mentorship and professional development programs to empower women within and beyond Cognizant.

Cognizant Veterans Network

Hiring veterans and developing their careers is a key element of our diversity and inclusion mission. The Cognizant Veterans Network helps veterans build and grow a career at Cognizant that enables them to leverage the leadership, loyalty, integrity, and commitment to excellence instilled in them through their military service.

Learning and Development

We offer a wide range of professional development programs to strengthen our talent base, cultivate the skills to meet clients’ ever-changing needs, and provide an attractive career path for team members. Through our award-winning learning organization, Cognizant Academy, and other professional development programs, we aim to nurture employees’ abilities at each career stage.